It’s no secret that I am a caramel and banana lover, and these Banoffee Cupcakes couldn’t do that combination better!
This recipe is for soft, spiced banana cupcakes that have been filled with dulce de leche, piped with vanilla frosting, and decorated with more dulce de leche and chocolate shavings. These are the perfect cupcakes to make when you want to show off your baking skills!
If you love banana bakes then you have to try out this Banana and Caramel Sheet Cake, or this recipe for Banana Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting.
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Ingredients
To make these delicious banana and caramel cupcakes, you will need the simple ingredients listed below. Remember to always use fresh room temperature ingredients when baking.
- Unsalted butter
- Sunflower oil
- Muscovado sugar
- Extra-large eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Self raising flour
- Mixed spice
- Salt
- Buttermilk
- Ripe bananas
- Powdered sugar
- Whole milk
- Caramel
- Milk chocolate
Unsalted butter – choose unsalted butter when baking to be able to adjust the saltiness of your cupcakes. It is very important that you use room temperature butter for the cupcakes and the frosting.
Muscovado sugar – I used muscovado sugar for this recipe for extra caramel flavor, do the same or use brown sugar instead.
Extra-large eggs – out of their shell, the eggs I use weigh 56 grams, if you aren’t sure if you have the same eggs – weigh the eggs you have and adjust accordingly.
Sunflower oil – this recipe uses a combination of oil and butter for extra moistness. Use a neutral-tasting vegetable oil like sunflower oil or canola oil.
Vanilla extract – choose a quality vanilla extract rather than essence for this recipe. You can also use vanilla bean paste.
Self-rasing flour – Choose self-raising flour for this recipe or use a combination of cake flour or all-purpose flour and baking powder. Check the instructions on the packaging of your baking powder to decide how much should be added.
Bananas – choose overripe bananas with brown spots for this recipe, extra ripe bananas have a better taste for baking and add extra sweetness.
Caramel – for this recipe, I used a store-bought can of dulce de leche, Nestle Caramel Treat. You can do the same or decide to boil a tin of condensed milk to make your own dulce de leche.
Milk chocolate - chocolate is grated over the top of the cupcakes, I like using milk chocolate - you can do the same or choose to use dark chocolate if you'd prefer.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Follow the simple steps below to make this easy banoffee cupcake recipe. First, you will be making the banana cupcakes, then the vanilla buttercream frosting, and then filling and decorating the cupcakes.
Instructions for cupcakes
STEP 1: Preheat oven. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line 2 cupcake trays with 24 cupcake papers.
STEP 2: Beat butter, oil, and sugar. Combine the softened butter, oil, and sugar in a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat at medium-high speed until light in color and creamy.
STEP 3: Add eggs. Add the eggs one at a time. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat well between each addition.
STEP 4: Sift dry ingredients. Sift together the flour, salt, and mixed spice.
STEP 5: Combine wet ingredients. Add the mashed bananas, vanilla, and buttermilk to a jug and stir to combine.
STEP 6: Add the wet and dry ingredients. Add the flour and banana mixture to the cupcake batter by alternating between the two. Starting with the flour and ending with the banana mixture. Once added, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and mix again to ensure everything is well combined.
STEP 7: Bake. Use an ice cream scoop to fill the cupcake liners two-thirds of the way up the liner. Bake in a preheated oven for about 15 - 20 minutes or until a light golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Instructions for frosting
STEP 1: Beat butter and sugar. In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the butter and icing sugar. Beat at medium speed until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
STEP 2: Add milk and vanilla. In a jug combine the milk and vanilla, with the mixer's motor running at low speed slowly add the milk mixture. Continue until it has all been added.
STEP 3: Beat. Increase the speed of the mixer to medium-high. Beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your chosen attachment.
Instructions for decorating
STEP 1: Fill. Use a fork to loosen and smooth out the dulce de leche, if necessary. Once smooth, add it to a piping bag. Use an apple corer to remove the center of each cupcake and fill the middle of the cupcakes with the dulce de leche.
STEP 2: Pipe frosting. Pipe a swirl of the fluffy vanilla frosting onto each cupcake. Then pipe a dot of caramel over the frosting.
STEP 3: Decorate. Grate milk chocolate over the top of each cupcake, serve, and enjoy!
Hint: Always use softened room temperature butter for cupcakes, both the batter and the frosting.
Variations
These banana caramel cupcakes are delicious as outlined in this post but if you’d like to get creative, have a look at the frosting recipes below that will also work well with these spiced banana cupcakes.
These delicious banana cupcakes can also be decorated with chocolate sprinkles, mini cookies, and banana chips if you'd like!
Equipment
To make these cupcakes, you will need an electric stand mixer or electric hand mixer. You will also need a cupcake tin, 24 cupcake liners, a cupcake corer, a cooling rack, and piping bags.
Storage
Cupcakes cool quickly and dry out just as quickly so try to frost them the same day they are baked. If you don’t have time to decorate the cupcakes the same day as baking them, store them in an airtight container or cover the cupcake trays in plastic wrap until the next day.
For any leftover filled and frosted cupcakes, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for about 4 days.
To freeze these delicious banana caramel cupcakes, place any leftover cupcakes in a freezer-safe air-tight container and freeze them for up to three months. Defrost properly before consuming them.
Top tips
Follow my top baking tips below to ensure that your cupcakes come out perfectly.
- Use an oven thermometer to check the true temperature of your oven.
- Don’t overfill the cupcake cases as this can lead to mishappen cupcakes.
- Make sure the butter is at room temperature before starting this recipe.
- Ensure the cupcakes have cooled properly before frosting them.
FAQ
The eggs I use weigh 56 grams, if you aren’t sure if you have the same eggs – weigh the eggs you have and adjust accordingly.
Check your oven's temperature and ensure you haven’t overfilled the cupcake cases. Overfilling the cases can result in misshapen cupcakes.
Wait - having room-temperature butter is the most important step in a successful batter and frosting. Choose to wait until the butter has reached room temperature before making this recipe, or cube the butter and heat it gently in the microwave, being careful not to melt it.
I always recommend using a kitchen scale rather than cups when baking, this way you can ensure you’ve measured properly and that your baked goodies come out perfectly.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
These banoffee cupcakes taste even better than they look, and that’s saying something! If you try out this recipe please leave a comment and star rating below – I love hearing from all of you!
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Happy Baking,
With Love,
Kitty
📖 Recipe
Banoffee Cupcakes
Equipment
- 2x 12-hole cupcake pans
Ingredients
Banana Cupcakes
- 125 g unsalted butter
- 170 g muscovado sugar
- 30 ml sunflower oil
- 2 eggs extra large
- 225 g self-raising flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- 180 ml buttermilk
- 240 ml bananas mashed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla Buttercream
- 500 g icing sugar
- 160 g unsalted butter
- 50 ml milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 360 g Nestle caramel treat
- 20 g milk chocolate
Instructions
Banana Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and line 2 cupcake trays with 24 cupcake papers.
- Combine the softened butter, oil, and sugar in a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat at medium-high speed until light in color and creamy.
- Add the eggs one at a time. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat well between each addition.
- Sift together the flour, salt, and mixed spice.
- Add the mashed bananas, vanilla, and buttermilk to a jug and stir to combine.
- Add the wet ingredients, and flour mixture to the cupcake batter by alternating between the two. Starting with the flour and ending with the banana mixture. Once added, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and mix again to ensure everything is well combined.
- Use an ice cream scoop to fill the cupcake liners two-thirds of the way up the liner. Bake in a preheated oven for about 15 - 20 minutes or until a light golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Vanilla Buttercream
- In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the butter and icing sugar. Beat at medium speed until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
- In a jug combine the milk and vanilla, with the mixer's motor running at low speed slowly add the milk mixture. Continue until it has all been added.
- Increase the speed of the mixer to medium-high. Beat until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Add the frosting to a piping bag fitted with your chosen attachment.
Decorate
- Use a fork to loosen and smooth out the dulce de leche, if necessary. Once smooth, add it to a piping bag. Use an apple corer to remove the center of each cupcake and fill the middle of the cupcakes with the dulce de leche.
- Pipe a swirl of the fluffy vanilla frosting onto each cupcake. Then pipe a dot of caramel over the frosting.
- Grate milk chocolate over the top of each cupcake, serve, and enjoy!
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